Player losses on poker machines in The Local Paper readership area totalled $165.8 million in the past financial year.
Official figures released by the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation show that 1510 machines are installed at 27 local venues.

Total annual gaming machine expenditure in each local municipality is:
• Mansfield. $1,619,488.47.
• Mitchell. $17,356,249.50.
• Murrindindi. $1,433,765.85.
• Nillumbik. $8,298,522.61.
• Strathbogie. $1,219,972.05.
• Whittlesea. $106,994,642.75.
• Yarra Ranges. $28,850,082.90.
“Net EGM expenditure is the total amount lost by players,” notes the Commission reports.

The City of Whittlesea leads the way on poker machine player losses with an extraordinary $106.9 million.
This represents a daily loss of $293,136 in the Whittlesea municipality. It is the sixth highest losing local government area across the 70 Council districts in Victoria that allow the machines.
It represents a loss of $680 per adult in the City of Whittlesea.
“Millions of dollars from poker machine revenue is supposed to be ploughed back into local communities, but a Monash University report has found that less than 3 per cent of that actually turns up,” says the ABC.
“In Victoria, club pokie venues are required to submit an annual community benefit statement, which demonstrates that they have provided at least 8.3 per cent of their pokie revenue to community purposes,” say Monash University academics Charles Livingstone, Louise Francis and Taylah Wynen.

“ If they do this, they get a reduction of 8.3 per cent on the gambling tax they pay, compared to hotel venues.”
““When we see clubs in particular say that somehow paying the wages and superannuation and for the TV and the gas bill is some sort of community benefit – I mean it would be laughable if it wasn’t so serious,” Mr Livingstone told the Bendigo Advertiser earlier this year.
“Dressing up very, very minor contributions made by clubs [as a community benefit] does all of us a major disservice and is effectively a legitimisation exercise and an alibi used by the clubs to justify the harm they impose on the community.”

Murrindindi Shire has just one venue where poker machines are allowed.
The Rubicon Hotel at Thornton has 25 machines, with $3928 lost by players each day in the 2016-17 year.
A total of $1,433,766 was lost by players during the year; an average of $57,351 per year.
The ‘loss per capita’ across the municipality is $128 per adult, based on latest adult population statistics.
The Murrindindi Shire is ranked 67 of the 70 local government areas in Victoria for poker machine losses.
But that does not mean that Murrindindi residents do not travel to Mansfield, Seymour, Lilydale, Whittlesea to play the machines.

The City of Whittlesea has 10 venues where 711 machines are available to play. Locations include Bundoora, Epping, Lalor, Mernda, Mill Park, Thomastown and Whittlesea.
The Whittlesea statistics are quite different: $293,136 lost daily, $106.9 million lost in the past year, with a loss per capita of $680 per adult.
At Yarra Ranges Shire, $79,041 was lost daily, $28,850,082.90 per annum, with loss per capita of $245 per adult.
At Nillumbik Shire, $22,736 is lost daily, $8,298,523 over the year, with loss per capita at $171 per adult.
At Mitchell Shire, $47,551 is lost daily, $17,356,250 lost annually, with loss per capita at $566 per adult.
At Mansfield Shire where there is only vanue at the Golf Club, $4437 is lost daily, $1,619,48 lost annually, with loss per capita at $251 per adult.
At Strathbogie Shire, with one venue at the Nagambie Lakes Entertainment Centre, $2242 is lost daily, $1,219,972 lost annually, with loss per capita of $150 per aduly, says the Victorian Responsbile Gambling Foundation.

27 venues, 1510 machines
Electronic gaming machines are widespread across The Local Paper readership area. These State Government figures show the number of licensed electronic gaming machines at each venue, and the annual expenditure for the 2016-17 financial year.
“Net EGM expenditure is the total amount lost by players,” notes the Government statistical report.

Mansfield Shire
• Mansfield Golf Club, Mansfield. 40. $1,619,48.47.

Mitchell Shire
• Hogan’s Hotel, Wallan. 45. $4,335,956.11.
• Kilmore Trackside, Kilmore. 76. $5,052,405.76.
• Magpie and Stump Hotel, Wandong. 24. $951,383.38.
• Railway Club Hotel, Seymour. 33. $3,075,719.08.
• Seymour Club, Seymour. 50. $3,940,785.17.

Murrindindi Shire
• Rubicon Hotel, Thornton. 25. $1,433,765.85.

Nillumbik Shire
• Diamond Creek Tavern, Diamond Creek. 50. $4,802,768.29.
• Eltham Hotel, Eltham. 57. $3,495,754.32.

Strathbogie Shire
• Nagambie Lakes Entertainment Centre, Nagambie. 32. $1,219,972.05.

Whittlesea City
• Bridge Inn Hotel, Mernda. 60. $8,229,669.20.
• Bundora Taverner, Bundoora. 100. $17,380,639.68.
• Casa D’Abruzzo Club, Epping. 75. $6,870,665.47.
• Epping Hotel, Epping. 40. $7,550,508.51.
• Epping Plaza Hotel, Epping. 100. $20,963,343.36.
• Epping RSL, Epping. 45. $4,305,105.55.
• Excelsior Hotel, Thomastown. 105. $16,246,634.56.
• Lalor Bowling Club, Lalor. 36. $2,580,083.78.
• Plough Hotel, Mill Park. 100. $19,368,601.14.
• Whittlesea Bowls Club, Whittlesea. 50. $3,499,391.50.

Yarra Ranges Shire
• Chirnside Park Country Club, Chirnside Park. 37. $1,184,068.63.
• Crown Hotel, Lilydale. 68. $7,173,317.81.
• Healesville RSL, Healesville. 50. $2,304,892.94.
• Terminus Hotel, Healesville. 30. $856,433.61.
• The International, Lilydale. 80. $4,823,087.36.
• Upper Yarra RSL, Yarra Junction. 30. $1,496,112.65.
• York On Lilydale Taverner Resort. 72. $5,703, 470.58.

Photo: SGS Economics and Planning